


Night Terrors

by addiction1510



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Night Terrors, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 18:47:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4274079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addiction1510/pseuds/addiction1510
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Muffled screams filled the air, and Garnet rushed from the temple, her heart racing. The door barely had time to shut behind her before it opened again, Pearl and Amethyst bursting forth together. Weapons were drawn, and the fusion glanced about, not seeing anything in the house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Terrors

Muffled screams filled the air, and Garnet rushed from the temple, her heart racing. The door barely had time to shut behind her before it opened again, Pearl and Amethyst bursting forth together. Weapons were drawn, and the fusion glanced about, not seeing anything in the house. She raced forward, heart pounding because he was screaming, loud and clear and he must have been in pain but she couldn’t see any future where he was being attacked, so  _why was he screaming_?

There was nothing visible in the main room, and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears with his screams. Shaking, the three of them ran up the stairs together to his room- that was where the screams were coming from after all, so that’s where he had to be, and they had to get to him quick because there was no telling what was happening to him that she couldn’t see, and they weren’t there to protect him, she had promised Rose, and she was going to end up failing her last promise- only to find him laying in bed and thrashing around in the covers.

“Steven!” Pearl’s voice rang through the screams, and they stopped.  Their little boy sitting up in bed, and rubbing his eyes. He had been asleep? He had been screaming in his sleep, thrashing in his covers, and had terrified all of them.

“Huh?” he mumbled, and the fusion slumped. Her gauntlets dissolved, and Pearl rushed forward, wrapping him up tightly in her arms in a tight hug, his eyes widening as she squeezed him. “What’s up? ’s there a mission?”

“No. You were screaming,” Garnet told him, and Amethyst ran ahead of her, jumping on the bed next to the two already on it. Steven glanced to her, one arm holding onto Pearl’s so she wasn’t choking him with how tight she was hugging him.

“Yeah man! You were screaming so loud we could hear you in the temple! We thought you were being murdered or something!” Her hands grabbed at her neck, mimicking choking. Steven’s face fell into a mask of confusion, and Garnet walked over slowly, sitting on the bed with the rest of the Crystal Gems.

“I was?” The look on his face, and she found half of her confused, half of her concerned. Sapphire seemed to know something, and Ruby was confused as to what was wrong. It took nothing more than  _night terrors, like you used to have after the war when you tried sleeping_ , before every part of her understood, and she swallowed. He was so young, and already he was scarred enough to be having the same trauma Ruby had had all those years ago. She knew it was a mistake getting him involved in all of this, but it was too late now.

“Yes,” Pearl breathed, and she nodded. Amethyst seemed unsure what to say, as her attempt to lighten the situation had failed, and she glanced to her. This wasn’t a situation that called for a joke to make her feel better, and she wasn’t sure what to say to help her. Instead, she gave her a small smile when she looked at her, and the smile was returned, half-heartedly.

“Steven,” she started, and he glanced to her, his eyes showing his complete and total confusion at why they had barged into his room and woke him up in the middle of the night for no reason. “What were you dreaming about?”

“I… I dunno.” He was lying, and she could see it on his face. He was still so small, so innocent and young, and he had experienced so much. She hated it, but knew he couldn’t be out of it anymore. There was another war coming, and they needed him. Really, they needed her, but she was gone, and at least they had him. He had her shield, and gem tech didn’t affect him.

“You’re lying,” Amethyst accused, and he looked away. She could see the hurt on his face, and he leaned against Pearl, eyes wet with tears. Still so young, so small, and so innocent. He had great potential ahead of him, but right now, he was still just a little kid. A small kid that

“I dreamed that Malachite came out of the ocean, and she poofed you guys. Then she smashed your gems, and… I couldn’t stop her…” he trailed off, and before she could move, Amethyst wrapped her arms around him tightly. Garnet was quick to join in the hug, holding their little boy close, because she knew the horrors of night terrors. How hard it must be, on someone so young to having them so early on in life. She hated it.

“Don’t worry, little dude. That’s not going to happen. If she comes out of the ocean, we’ll totally kick her butt!” While she adored her enthusiasm, Garnet knew they would be no match for the fusion. Her separate parts were too strong, let alone when they were fused. Maybe together, as Alexandrite, but that was unlikely. Half of her wanted to try denying it, but she knew it was true, and denying it was impossible. For the sake of their little boy though, she nodded.

“She’s right.” It was lying, and she hated lying to him, but he had to feel better about this. She wanted him to sleep better, to not worry about that possibility, because if they did come out with Jasper in control, then they’d lose, and Malachite knew it. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but it was true. Pearl glanced at her, but didn’t say anything.

Three possible futures splayed before her eyes, each with how Steven could take her lie. He could react badly, call her out on it, and she’d have to lie more, but there was no guarantee he would believe her. He could take it in stride, but he wouldn’t believe her, only act like he had, until the next time he woke up screaming and they had to comfort him again. Finally, he could actually believe her lie. He did think the world of them, so maybe he would actually believe what she had said. He would think they could win, until it was obvious that they couldn’t, and his world would be crushed. She hated it, but she hoped that was the future in store for them.

Slowly, he glanced to her. Her sweet little boy, she felt her heart breaking looking at him now. Tears in his eyes as he stared at her, she knew exactly which future was going to happen. 


End file.
